Welcome aboard
by duckmadgirl
Summary: after being sent to patrol boats by the powers that be Kate McGregor's world is turned upside-down. learning to deal with life on a patrol boat being with a old flame. set I season 1 following the crew of HMAS Hammersley. ( I do not own sea patrol or any of the charaters) also note I know nothing about life in the RAN
1. Chapter 1

**okay before we start I actually know nothing about how the RAN works and only have Sea patrol to go on. I also know nothing about Australia and have had tried to research as best as I can. please go easy on me this is my first fic for sea patrol. enjoy x**

Lieutenant Kate McGregor was sat in the NAVCOM naval base at Cairns. She was getting details of new posting. Having not requested a transfer she knew it could go one of two ways, up or down and she was desperately hoping to be the former, she wanted to stay on the frigates she loved these big ships there were more opportunities to go far in her career. She sighed she had been hear for what seemed like ages. Looking at her watch it had only been 10 minuets.

"lieutenant McGregor" she was called in to a large office with a window looking out on to the control hub. She smoothed down the shirt of her whites and followed the voice in to the office. It was the office of a Commander Steve Marshall

"sir" she saluted

" take a seat Lieutenant" he indicated at the seat that was in front of the desk.

She sat down watching him gather various documents and papers

"I have the details of your new posting. You are being posted to the HMAS Hammersley as the Executive officer..."

"sir that's a patrol boat isn't it"

"that is correct lieutenant"

"but sir I need to be on frigates I need big ships"

"lieutenant if you want to progress in your career then you do need some time on patrol boats you are the executive officer of the Hammersley "

"But Sir..."

"Kate. Let me give you some advice. If you want to go far in the navy then you go where you are sent and learn to accept and like it"

"yes sir"

"Hammersley is a good ship with a great command and crew. Being the XO makes you second in command as you know. You will be serving under Lieutenant commander Flynn"

"yes sir" she forced a smile a patrol boat 6 months on a bloody patrol boat. On the upside she would be on shore more but a patrol boat going after stupid fishermen who couldn't stay on their side of the line the same thing day in and day out. However something sounded familiar about that was the name of someone she once knew from a course at ADFA. Putting it to the back of her mind as it couldn't possibly be him she took the folder she was handed.

"Hammersley is in port at the moment she is due to sail in 90 minuets. Report to the ship and I will let Lieutenant commander Flynn know you are on your way"

Kate stood up and shook the hand of Commander Marshall. She waited till she was out of the building and away from anyone who might see before removing her hat and gave a silent scream in to it. Patrol boats were small cramped and everyone seemed to think they had the right to know your business and Hammersley was a Fremantle class boat so was smaller than the newer boats being commissioned.

Having already packed her bags in case she was to sail today she returned to her car before driving to the port. Walking along the Warf until she found where Hammersley was docked. She stood on the warf waiting for the lieutenant commander Flynn. When a face from her past appeared. Mike Flynn. Then the penny dropped he was the CO of Hammersley. 6 months on this cramped boat with a man who several years ago left with out a word, with out a goodbye. This was going to be a long fun 6 months.


	2. Chapter 2

**okay ii hope you enjoy. I have changed my mind about where this story is going and it is more like how Kate is feeling about her first time on Hammersley so I think that there is only one more chapter in this but hopefully I will write another fic on sea patrol. I am also writing one on Our girl which I shall update soon I just need to figure out how to word it and think where that one is going. once again I do not own sea patrol or the charaters in it. hope you enjoy and please review thanks duckmadgirl xx**

Well that was a great first day. Kate was in her rack trying to get a few hours of long overdue sleep before she was on watch. At lest she had managed to get the bottom rack. It was the better of the two. She had claimed being a more senior officer meant she was able to bag the better rack when getting the navigator and fellow lieutenant Nikki to move her stuff to the top rack. The bottom one was not only slightly bigger but was much easier to get in to and out of and there was a lesser chance of falling out if the swell of the ocean was huge.  
Even with the better rack she was still unable to get comfy and able to sleep. A mixture of the boat rocking on the waves as it ploughed through the sea and her mind replaying the days events on a loop reminding her that her first day was not such a good first day and how much she hated patrol boats and couldn't wait to be sent back on frigates.

She lay awake in the dark silence of the ship with only the low hum of the ancient engine below as the soundtrack for the ship. It had been a long and tough first day that had started of bad as in being placed on a patrol boat and had only gotten worse as the day wore on. Being placed on this patrol boat had been bad enough but to then find out it was under the command of a man she had once loved, a man who she thought loved her, a man who had left her with no reasons or even a good bye was the icing on the cake. She swallowed her pride knowing that being professional was the only way to go and any feelings that she once had for Mike Flynn were long in the past.  
Then on her first boarding as head of the boarding party she threw up over the side of the tub they had boarded. It wasn't that she got sea sick , she had learned to deal with that in her first year in the Navy. The smell from the fishing boat they boarded was over powering as soon as they disembarked off of Hammersley and were on the RHIB heading to wards this boat you could smell it; it was a smell that only got worse as you got closer to the boat. It was the sort of smell that lingered around the harbour rotting fish and the salty sea. It didn't help that the barely seaworthy boat rocked and bobbed up and down with every passing wave. She was glad when it was confirmed that they were to tow the boat back to base so the fishermen could be charged with fishing illegally in Australian waters.  
She was grateful to be back on the Hammersley. All she wanted to do was have a hot shower and change her overalls. The stench of the fish seemed to cling to everything. The clothing she was wearing her hair, it was burnt in to her nostrils, even now long after the events of today she was convinced she could still smell it in her hair.

Rolling over Kate looked at her watch. She sighed she had to get some sleep it was a few hours until she was on watch. Closing her eyes willing sleep to come her mind replaying the rest of the days events like some cruel prank.  
Getting changed in to her whites for dinner was a mistake. But did the CO have to put her down so quickly. How was she to know that officers didn't dress for dinner on patrol boats no body had told her and showed her how things were done. He dug the knife in even more in to the wound he had left in her heart when he mentioned their past liaison saying how he never thought they would serve in the same circles as she was a big ship person and he loved the patrol boats. Walking back in to her room she was furious with him. It was the armed forces they were bound to cross paths at some point again. She was swearing under her breath at this point. He hurt her and was enjoying this torment. Remembering where she was and that she needed to be professional at all times and aware that the walls on the older boats were like paper and you could hear everything through them.

Deciding that she had dwelled on the day for long enough and she really needed sleep. First days never went as well as one hoped. They were always testing even for the best of people. It was a new team for her, a team that had been serving together for a while from what she could gather. She was the new girl in class and had to find her own way. Being a outsider was always going to be hard. Tomorrow was a new day, well it was a new day today as it was after midnight. finally drifting off in to a light sleep she let all the worries of the day float away.  
She was awoken by her alarm after what only seamed like minuets reminding her that she was due on the bridge for her watch. She dragged her self out of the rack and looked in the tiny mirror to plat her hair so it was at least out of the way. She hurried out of the cabin in search of coffee.

It had to be a better day to day she thought

 **Didn't** it ?


	3. Chapter 3

**okay last chapter. I realised soon after starting that I was just repeating season 1 episode 1 with a few thoughts of what kate may be thinking. this is why I have ended it here. I have got another sea patrol fic in the pipelines and will post soon. (as soon as I type it in to word. enjoy duckmadgirlxx**

Day 2 wasn't much better. They had some one die on the ship, a woman who they had rescued and had to perform life saving treatment on in the field with out the proper kit or things they needed. It was all make-shift and Kate had to use her pistol or at least the barrel as a trachea tube to help the Dr breath. It was far from ideal and with each breath the doctor took the air whistled through the metal shaft of the makeshift tube.

The day had gotten off to a bad start . in the early hours she had given charge permission to take down the port engine for maintenance. Technology she should have asked the for permission but he was asleep and she didn't want to bother him. He had given her a right dressing down for this. Making her feel like a child taking her back to when she was 15 and spent many lesions outside the headmasters office for answering back or contradicting the teachers whether she was right or not. Reminding her of the importance of teamwork but that it was his ship. Kate saw this as a contradiction as they all work as a team the CO right down to the able seaman but the CO has the final say. On the other hand when NAVCOM were on their case as to why they hadn't arrived at Bright Island yet he took the blame saying it was his ship so his problems to deal with.

They arrived at Bright Island and began to search for the woman who had made the distress call a Dr Lisa Holmes. When Kate found her she was in a bad way. She was at least alive but unable to move and the fear in the woman's eyes was ever present. There was nothing in the way to explain why she would be paralyzed and not be able to communicate. They managed to stabilize her with communications from the doctor at base and relayed to them from Hammersley via Buffer as they were in a dead zone for the ship making communication impossible.

There was nothing that could be done. Hammersley's medical supplies were not sophisticated enough to deal with this sort of medical emergency all they could do was maintain a watch until they got back to base.

She had begged swain to continue with CPR cycle after cycle of 30 compressions to 2 breaths. She was ready to assist with another cycle but she had gone. Why did she allow charge to take down the engine. Although no one could have predicted this and although Kate knew this as it had been her comeback earlier when Mike spoke to her about it, she still felt bad. What and if are two little words but together they can create a world of self doubt. For Kate the What and if were making her think what if they had gotten to Bright island sooner then maybe Lisa would have survived.

When they got back to base the worse was to come. Both Kate and Mike were asked to be present at the formal identification of Lisa Holmes. Kate was dreading it meeting the poor woman's family. Once at the mortuary they were met by a officer from the Australian Federal Police who said it was Lisa's boss that would be making the identification as the family were on the other side of the country.

Lisa's boss was a tall glamorous blond lady by the name of Ursula Morell who was very striking. When she found out Kate was with Lisa before she died, she kept asking if Lisa had said anything before she died. Comforted by the fact she hadn't. Ursula was able to make the formal ID. Again Kate was asked if Lisa said anything before Ursula fell backwords in to Mikes arms. Of course he caught her, he was a gentleman. But there was something suspicious about the way she did it leaning against his chest for support. Kate couldn't put her finger on the issue but there was something fishy about her.

Kate relayed her suspicions about this to Mike whilst walking back to Hammersley. He dismissed it saying that it was probably grief she had made a bad decision that had lost her a friend and a team member. He shut her down fairly quickly. Kate put it down to mike liked Ursula and was smitten with her. Maybe it was a case of only another woman could see these calculating acts.

Patrol boats were only a step on the way for Kate to become chief of Navy but working with mike they could make it work and put the past behind them for the sake of both their careers.


End file.
